Robert Berrima Quinn Military Medal Port Adelaide Stalwart

Born in 1915 at Birkenhead by the Port River Inlet A son of Port Adelaide as one of the best youd get In the days before bridges he would row Across the river to training and games hed go He debuted for the Magpies in 1936 at Alberton And was the best player in that game then Winning the 1938 Magarey Medal as the best in the league He was one who epitomises the best of the Creed Then in 1939 he captain coached the Magpies To the third premiership after the ones in 1936 and 1937 as Football wise But war clouds were gathering and he heard the bugle call then Enlisting in second 43 Battalion in June 1940 as a warrant officer second class his country to defend Off to North Africa he sailed with his mates To Libya and Tobruk battlefields his life risked to fate Then on the 3 August 1941 who took command of the 10 platoon At the siege of Tobruk to blow a barbed wire machine gun soon He told his men that death was near As the Germans poured on fire across the battlefield clear And he would lay the last Bangalore explosive torpedo The most dangerous one to place near the machine gun hed go Only three of the seven survived in the heavy fire With Quinns turn the next the danger so dire And he was hit by shrapnel in the top of the thigh Being hit in the head again the bullets flying by On top of this a wounded mate called out And he took him up on his back to the trench after the shout The machine gun was silenced in the mission success A Military Medal was awarded to Quinn as one of the best When his wounds healed he was promoted to lieutenant And to the Pacific War defending Australia he was sent And in September 1943 in New Guinea he was injured severely In his knee arm and face which could have cost his football dearly But he made it through those broken years Returning to Adelaide and more football cheers To win a second Magarey Medal in 1945 an accolade As captain coach of Port Adelaide So we remember this brave man Of the battlefield and Aussie Rules oval grand Two Magarey Medals three premierships four best and fairest medals 15 times played for South Australia and All Australian player With a Military Medal on the battlefield a brave ANZAC soldier. © Paul Warren Poetry